Vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and electrical vehicles (EVs) typically utilize a high voltage electrical system. To ensure safety when servicing these vehicles, a number of electrical protection systems have been developed. In many cases, these protection systems employ a switching device or arrangement that causes an open circuit in the vehicle's electrical system so as to prevent the flow of current. Although the conventional protection systems are useful, there exists a wide horizon for improvement. Particularly, diagnoses and servicing of some electrical system anomalies are possible only when the electrical system is energized. Accordingly, the servicing and/or diagnoses of vehicle electrical systems with the conventional protection systems further complicated, if not impossible.
The embodiments described herein were conceived in view of these and other disadvantages of systems adapted to ensure safety when servicing vehicles with high voltage electrical systems.